Akhilesh Yadav's Aide Pawan Pandey Expelled From Party

Pandey was expelled from the party over his alleged clash with MLC Ashu Malik.

ANI

Pawan Kumar / Reuters

LUCKNOW -- A day after party supremo Mulayam Yadav asserted that all was well within the party, Samajwadi Party leader Pawan Pandey on Wednesday was expelled from the party over his alleged clash with MLC Ashu Malik.

Announcing the decision, sacked party general secretary Shivpal Yadav said, "We have written a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to sack Pawan Pandey of the Ministerial position over clash with MLC Ashu Malik."

Briefing the media Yadav said, Pandey has been sacked from the party for six years and whoever in their party would indulge in breaking the rules or involve in illegal practices has no place in the party.

Resonating similar sentiments of party supremo Mulayam, Shivpal said, "There is no controversy in the party or in the party, everything is good."

Earlier on Monday, Ashu Malik, Member of the Legislative Assembly and a close aid of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, was admitted to being slapped by fellow MLA Pawan Pandey at the chief minister's residence.

Malik told ANI, "I have been targeted and an environment has been created against me. Pawan Pandey has given me two slaps. I don't blame anybody for it, but I will exercise my constitutional right to lodge an FIR."

Malik said, "Although the heated moments came forth due to misunderstandings. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav called me for supporting a point and the supporters of the party mistook it. The matter was of 22 September, There was a story published by Times of India, which described Mulayam Singh as Shah Jahan and Akhilesh Yadav as Aurangzeb."

"No political leader gave statement like that. I was in Lucknow and called up Mulayam Singh Yadav for the appointment, and when I reached the venue, they told me that my name was also included in that newspaper article. I gave a notice to the newspaper," Malik told ANI earlier.

Malik confessed that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav wanted him to expose the political conspiracy, but in the heat of the moment, he could not say anything and this gave a wrong message to the supporters of the party present. This was the matter that he was supposed to tell the party supremo.